Published: Sunday, July 7, 2013 at 4:45 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, July 7, 2013 at 4:45 p.m.

ZIRCONIA - Dan and Jeanne Newby sat in a pair of camp chairs under the shade of a sycamore Sunday and waited patiently for their grandson to fly by on his bike, alongside other competitors in the Pisgah Omnium cycling race.

“We get up and cheer about every 30 minutes,” said Jeanne Newby, as she waited for the first riders to crest a hill off in the distance. Sunday's race followed a 10.28-mile loop along Bob's Creek and Green River Roads.

The retired Brevard couple, both in their 90s, came to Falling Creek Camp for the final stage of the Omnium, a three-day bike race presented by Hunter Subaru that began Friday with a 20-kilometer time trial in Etowah and capped off with a series of 10- to 50-mile road races in Zirconia.

“We watched him yesterday in Brevard,” Jeanne Newby said, referring to a criterium race held Saturday on the closed streets of her hometown. “In between the rain, it's been real nice.”

Their grandson, Alex McWhorter, 27, was one of roughly 400 cyclists who registered online for the event, although race director Daphne Kirkwood said several hundred more signed up in person. Kirkwood's iDaph Events sponsored the race, along with Crosstown Velo and Sycamore Cycles.

Most racers came from outside the area, Kirkwood said, and represented a wide range of ages and abilities. McWhorter came from Colorado, where he rides for Fort Lewis College's team, while other participants traveled from as far away as Michigan, Arkansas and New Mexico to compete.

“It's been a huge turnout,” Kirkwood said. “And we've had multiple categories all three days, with different levels of riders, from children and juniors to women and pros. They have to participate in all three events for overall prizes, but they could participate in one stage or two if they wanted and they just wouldn't get the grand money.”

More than $15,000 in prizes were awarded to racers over the weekend, with first-place purses Sunday ranging from $100 to $450. But the local economy also came out a winner, as cyclists poured money into local accommodations, restaurants, bike shops and brew pubs.

“(Racers) stayed two or three nights in hotels in Hendersonville and Brevard,” Kirkwood said. “If you get several hundred people doing that and all eating out and spending their time and money here, yeah, it's a significant impact.”

Fletcher resident Marilyn Setz, a member of Team Asheville Medical Aging Prevention, said Sunday's event was the first long road race that she's tackled since returning in October from Kuwait, where she served in the Army National Guard.

“I got fat and sassy over there, so it's taken me a while to get back in shape,” said Setz, who finished second in her women's category Sunday. “I'm 52, and I got whipped by a 29-year-old, so I think I did pretty well.”

Setz placed first in her category during Friday's time trial in Etowah, which covered roughly 12 miles. Race organizers had to move the starting line from a flooded stretch of River Road to Etowah School Road, but Kirkwood said poor weather conditions don't faze her much anymore.

“I put on the Asheville Marathon at the Biltmore Estate and it was 30 degrees with 30 mile-per-hour winds, so I'm getting used to it,” she said. “I told somebody recently, I think I'm going to change my business name to Epic Racing Events, because it just seems like they're all epic.”

<p>ZIRCONIA - Dan and Jeanne Newby sat in a pair of camp chairs under the shade of a sycamore Sunday and waited patiently for their grandson to fly by on his bike, alongside other competitors in the Pisgah Omnium cycling race.</p><p>“We get up and cheer about every 30 minutes,” said Jeanne Newby, as she waited for the first riders to crest a hill off in the distance. Sunday's race followed a 10.28-mile loop along Bob's Creek and Green River Roads.</p><p>The retired Brevard couple, both in their 90s, came to Falling Creek Camp for the final stage of the Omnium, a three-day bike race presented by Hunter Subaru that began Friday with a 20-kilometer time trial in Etowah and capped off with a series of 10- to 50-mile road races in Zirconia.</p><p>“We watched him yesterday in Brevard,” Jeanne Newby said, referring to a criterium race held Saturday on the closed streets of her hometown. “In between the rain, it's been real nice.”</p><p>Their grandson, Alex McWhorter, 27, was one of roughly 400 cyclists who registered online for the event, although race director Daphne Kirkwood said several hundred more signed up in person. Kirkwood's iDaph Events sponsored the race, along with Crosstown Velo and Sycamore Cycles.</p><p>Most racers came from outside the area, Kirkwood said, and represented a wide range of ages and abilities. McWhorter came from Colorado, where he rides for Fort Lewis College's team, while other participants traveled from as far away as Michigan, Arkansas and New Mexico to compete.</p><p>“It's been a huge turnout,” Kirkwood said. “And we've had multiple categories all three days, with different levels of riders, from children and juniors to women and pros. They have to participate in all three events for overall prizes, but they could participate in one stage or two if they wanted and they just wouldn't get the grand money.”</p><p>More than $15,000 in prizes were awarded to racers over the weekend, with first-place purses Sunday ranging from $100 to $450. But the local economy also came out a winner, as cyclists poured money into local accommodations, restaurants, bike shops and brew pubs.</p><p>“(Racers) stayed two or three nights in hotels in Hendersonville and Brevard,” Kirkwood said. “If you get several hundred people doing that and all eating out and spending their time and money here, yeah, it's a significant impact.”</p><p>Fletcher resident Marilyn Setz, a member of Team Asheville Medical Aging Prevention, said Sunday's event was the first long road race that she's tackled since returning in October from Kuwait, where she served in the Army National Guard.</p><p>“I got fat and sassy over there, so it's taken me a while to get back in shape,” said Setz, who finished second in her women's category Sunday. “I'm 52, and I got whipped by a 29-year-old, so I think I did pretty well.”</p><p>Setz placed first in her category during Friday's time trial in Etowah, which covered roughly 12 miles. Race organizers had to move the starting line from a flooded stretch of River Road to Etowah School Road, but Kirkwood said poor weather conditions don't faze her much anymore.</p><p>“I put on the Asheville Marathon at the Biltmore Estate and it was 30 degrees with 30 mile-per-hour winds, so I'm getting used to it,” she said. “I told somebody recently, I think I'm going to change my business name to Epic Racing Events, because it just seems like they're all epic.”</p><p>Reach Axtell at 828-694-7860 or than.axtell@blueridgenow.com.</p>